Animagi
by KATCStoryFactory
Summary: Come join Dan "Snakeskins" Marrs and his friends on an adventure you'll never forget. They will gain new magical abilities, make and break friendships and learn the greatest lesson of all.


The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 1-Daniel

The scarlet train was there waiting for as I stepped onto Platform 9 3/4.I groaned. The summer had gone by way to fast.

"Not another boring year," I muttered. Two first years gave me a look as if I was mad. Well, Hogwarts wasn't the best place in the world. I had already survived two years and learned that you can indeed almost die from boredom.

"Yo! Dan!" I heard someone yell from near the train. I grinned, feeling my spirit lifting already. I knew all to well who that was. I walked over to a group of fellow Slytherins. I grinned again. Here before me were some of my best friends and my fellow Quidditch members.

There was the team captain Abbie Orr, a 7th year chaser. She was our leader and a little bit of a wild person. Her favorite spell is to produce rum from thin air. Next to her was Vera Hiffler, a 6th year Chaser and Owen Jessies, a third year Chaser. Vera was a quite person but incredible smart. Her favorite spell is Expelliarmus for when you are disarmed against Vera; the rest of your House is preparing a bed for you in the Infirmary. Owen's different. He's one of those types who only care about purebloods. Sadly his magical abilities aren't the best in the world. His favorite spell is anything illegal.

Bryant Wrin and Tony Kilter were our two Beaters. Both were fourth years. Bryant liked Transfiguration spells while Tony, our version of a Slytherin player, enjoyed any spells that dimmed the lights. Lastly Alex Cain was our Keeper. He too was a fourth year. He loved the disillousionment charm. I'm the team's Seeker and if you must know, my favorite spell is Serpensortia.

The person who had called my name was Beverly Hines. She's a fifth year and friends with all seven of us players so we consider her a non-playing member. This means she's the one we have with us when we're hexing the enemy.

"Snakeskins, what's new?" Abbie asked, referring to my nickname. I'm a parseltounge. This means I can speak to snakes and understand them. Abbie thinks that's the reason why I'm in Slytherin. She didn't believe at first that I was a "true Slytherin".

"Nothing my Captain," I teased. "The most is my folks are freaked by this Voldemort things. They're muggles and are afraid I'll get hurt." I rolled my eyes. Owen and Tony stared. "What?"

"You said his name." Owen muttered. Abbie rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, if we're in trouble why would Hogwarts still be open?" my fellow third year asked.

"That's all b.s. Anyways, at least this year Owen and I can join you guys at Hogsmeade. Any good places?" I asked as I loaded my bags aboard. We found ourselves a compartment. A few first years tried to join us but we scared them off. Snobby prats. They'll probably become even more annoying Ravenclaw. No good person has come out of that House, I thought.

The talk soon led to Bev. She says she found someone. We all groaned. Bev would probably spend four months pinning after him then move on in a minute. Her latest victim, I mean crush, was a Hufflepuff fourth year named Kev; this lead to many jokes about Bev and Kev. Bev had met him at a Slytherin/Hufflepuff match.

I was antsy. I hadn't been on a broom all summer. It wasn't like we wouldn't win the House Cup, we're Slytherins after all! It's just I loved being in the air. Knowing Abbie like I do she'll probably have us practicing tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Vera and Abbie being 6th and 7th years had the most trouble. They would soon have mountains of homework.

The group soon turned to this years classes and I allowed my mind to wander. I had already met the teachers I'd be adding this year. Oy, Professor Zinn, I'll hate him! I hate him and he seems to hate me. I've known him for a year and last year when I interrupted his class to get another student for Professor Dumbledore, he went into a detailed prediction about my next Quidditch performance, ending in being beheaded by a bludger. I was looking forward to my Head of House, Professor Aries', Dark Arts club. He taught N.E.W.T level curses to anyone regardless of age and he'd answer any question about the Dark Arts wheither it be about spells, defense or even Dark Animals. I also thought about how he was going to be teaching the Illegal Curses to his N.E.W.T. sixth year Abbie had done that last year and it was a Slytherin tradition not to show those before N.E.W.T. sixth. It's like a House rite of passage. Plus there was a rumor this year that Professor Aries was thinking of teaming up with Professor Dragons, our Care of Magical Creatures, for a little double class covering Dark Animals to 3rd years.

The lands outside changed as the train moved higher north. Britain land turned into my Homeland: Scottish soil. I soon found myself drifting off to sleep.

Darkness filled my vision. There was a voice, raspy, like Transfiguration's voice. Transfiguration was my snake while Potions was my owl and at home Charms was my cat. Anyways the voice felt as if it was drifting over to me like fog.

Freedom......... Masssster...... Kill............ Familar.......October.......... This voice was shattered with a loud howl. I shuttered. Wolf calls always bothered

me. They were always so sad and haunting, yet this howl was different. It made me think of an evil canine howl. I turned away from the sound of the howl in my dreamland only to run into another voice.

It was a cold voice, almost dead like.

"Yes Master. He doesn't know about either of our conditions." The voice was broken by a screech of an owl. A snow owl floated over and landed on my shoulder. She nuzzled my ear as she gave a warm coo.

"Snakeskin! Wake up!" Abbie ordered, her voice breaking through my sleep.

"Wha?" I asked. She looked annoyed.

"Quidditch! Are you not the team Seeker?!" she snapped. "If so, pay attention!"

I grinned sheepishly. In front of me was a magical mini version of the playing field. Vera made it. She was our greatest training asset. The Sorting Hat almost made her a Ravenclaw but the better House won.

She passed each of us a green piece. I knew what to do. I pulled out my wand, a very interesting type; 12 inches, dog wood, black with the core as a hair from a Thestral. It was an Irish type wand.

Anyways, I tapped my wand on my piece and the words Seeker/Mars appeared. My piece also started flying. Soon all seven pieces were flying as seven red pieces went up against them. Bev controlled four, the three red Chasers and the red Keeper. Abbie controlled the red Beaters as Vera controlled the red Seeker. I wouldn't have to be too careful. There weren't many Seeker tactics besides the Wrongski Flint. A quaffle and two bludgers went out and soon fourteen pieces zipped around the room.

For the next few hours we used different strategies we knew the other three Houses used. It was a fun way to end our trip. Hogsmeade soon appeared and we had to get off.

"Firs' years over here! Firs' years!" I heard. I grinned again as I remembered another rare good thing about Hogwarts. It was Hagrid, our gamekeeper. He had always puzzled me.

"Hiya Dan." Hagrid greeted me with a smile. We had met before I was sorted and Hagrid considered me to be a "rare good Slyth'rin".

"Hey, when shall I come see you?" I asked. See, both my parents were muggle zookeepers and magical animals were some of my favorite things so I was like Hagrid's helper when he went into the Forest. Hagrid sometimes gave me Magical Creatures lessons after dinner.

"'Marrow. " he muttered as he lead the first years to the boats. I wondered if the giant squid would make an appearance tonight. Hagrid puzzled me for he was a huge man. Easily able to take over, yet he allows people to walk all over him. I never got it. Maybe there's something to this being nice b.s. he's always talking about. I mussed on this as Bev, Owen, Alex and I climbed into a carriage. We went up Hogwarts' stairs and

entered just as a light drizzle started.

Masssster........ Now....? Familize........... I heard from somewhere down.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Bev.

"Hear what?" she asked. At my puzzled look she went on. "Snakes, you're hearing things, which isn't a good thing. Come, let's see what the first years are like!" Bev pushed me into the Great Hall and we took our seats at the edge of where the first years would sit.

Prof McGonagall soon walked in with a group of soaked half pints. I tried to see each one as he or she walked down the way. One looked odd. Something in me screamed

Veela when I saw her! I could've dazed at her forever except I sensed movement from the Gryffindor table. There was a wave. It was Taylor Trogdon, a third year and the team Keeper. He was waving at a female first year. A sister huh? Or could she be a cousin? That reminded me of my cousin. He was two years older and the Hufflepuff prefect. Hopefully Trogdon's relative wouldn't be as annoying unless she wanted to be bitten by a Slytherin snake.

My loathing thoughts were disrupted by Professor McGonagall placing the Sorting Hat on the stool. I grinned as the hat opened it's mouth and started to song.

FREEDOM!!! FREEDOM!!! I heard in my head. My trunk must've made it to the bedroom for I knew this voice. It was my snake Transfiguration. I could picture him now sliding everywhere. He's a magical snake. The charm for invisibility was infused in his genes so he made for a great Quidditch spy. His words formed a chant in my head.

"Snakes!" Bev hissed, nudging me. Transfiguration's chant soon went silent as Bev glared at me. "You missed the song!" she accused. Her eyes shot daggers as "Adams, Jackie" became a Hufflepuff.

"I'm fine. Don't worry Bev. Trans is just having fun." I whispered. Bev's eyes soften as she grinned. She liked Transfiguration. She'd spend hours telling him jokes as I translated his comments to her. Our House started cheering and I looked up. A black lad came running over to our table.

"Welcome Benji Cain!" Abbie shouted. Benji grinned as another lad joined us.

"Kevin Carter," the sandy haired preteen said. I nodded to him and pointed to the chair besides me. At Slytherin we have many rules but one is we look out for each other the rest goes we watch out for knives too . This meant older members sometimes took one or two first years under their belts to teach them things, like Hogwarts, hexes, important

stuff. Kevin became one of my two. I decided to take two under my wing this year.

Soon another person came over; Anja Ferris. Vera took her as Benji joined Tony. It was then the Veela girl was called.

"Hare, Sarah!" She went up to the hat, looking a little worried. The hat took awhile. Sarah closed her eyes and waited. A peaceful aurora surrounded her.

"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted.

"Damn!" I said softly. Bev turned to look oddly at me, so did Vera. Soon three more joined us. A lad who's name I didn't catch, Scarlet Kings and Graham Sayer. This year's group was rumored to be smaller and it sadly was. Another lad, a raven black haired, joined us. His name was Ryan Snow and I took him as my second first year. Soon there was only four left.

"Trogdon, Megan!" My House held it's breath. She was going to be in Gryffindor, we all knew it. We just wanted to see if she'd be like a normal Gryffindor and act like the ruler of this school. The Hat was silent. In fact it was more silent then I had ever seen before. After three minutes Dumbledore started to look interested. It was a few seconds later that a small smile formed on Megan's lips.

"Slytherin!" the Hat called. The whole Hall was shocked. Megan grinned and raced over.

"Hello Abbie, Daniel, Vera. Chaser, Seeker, Chaser," she said as she slid onto the bench. She smirked at each of our dazed expressions.

"What are you doing here?" Abbie asked. "Shouldn't you be a Gryffindor?"

"With those annoying saints of a House? No way! Talk about death by boredom," she said. I grinned at Abbie's shocked face.

"Oh, she belongs in Slytherin! Welcome!"

"Thanks Daniel. So, when do we hex our first Ravenclaw?" she asked innocently.

"Two things. First years, call me Snakeskins. It's my nickname. Second we don't hex Ravenclaws, for we don't leave clues to point to us. Slytherin rules 20 and 21: 'Never get caught - it doesn't matter if you break the rules, just don't get caught.' and 'If someone must be blamed, make sure it's not you'."

Bev led the first years off to the common room. She was our female prefect this year. The Quidditch team is very happy about this. I should've gone to led Kevin C. and Ryan, my "younger brothers" but Abbie decided instead for us to head out and polish our brooms for tomorrow.

Joy.

Sleep..... Sleep......October....... I heard from below me again as I entered the locker room. Luckily no one noticed my twitching and soon I put the voice in the back of my mind.


End file.
